Strawberry disaster....sob

[MoominmammasHandbag]

I've just been out to see if any of my strawberries have ripened yet and loads of the unripe fruits have completely disappeared, right back to the stem.
So what could have scoffed them? I thought slugs and snails, and even birds, at least had the decency to wait until they were ripe!

Massive sympathies - I've just had to put slug pellets down after discovering the little buggers eating everything I have! They even climbed up a stick and ate my sunflowers. I hate them.

Do you think its slugs then? I've never had a slug problem in my garden. I've got masses of pristine lettuce and mixed salad, grown from seed planted straight into the ground, bean seedlings coming through without being attacked....
I'm feeling all anxious now, will try beer traps first though, too many little kids running round my garden to risk pellets.

just read my book and it said that mice like strawberries so could have been them

Right, strawberries securely netted, empty yoghurt pots beertraps in place. Will cadge some beer off DH later.
Sadly though, I'm thinking mice. What can I do about mice? Putting traps outside in the garden seems a bit draconian.

Oooh, if it is mice that's a tougher one to crack. Mine are raised off hte ground by about a foot but not sure that would stop the mice if they got a munch on. Will ask my step dad (gardening guru) and let you know if he has any good advice.

It could be a squirrel, but I think birds are a likely suspect too. I had a young tomato plant ravaged by birds, investigating food for their young. You could possibly rig some sort of cover for them, without spending anything, Heath Robinson style! I've covered blackcurrant, blueberries with old net curtains.

Oooh it could well be a squirrel. There is one always in and out of the garden; broke DS2's heart by digging up and scoffing the crocuses he'd potted up at nursery.
I think my netting is sturdy enough to keep out squirrels and birds, but probably not fine enough for mice. Presumably they'd just dig under it anyway.

Squirrels are clever beyond belief. You need to secure the netting around your strawberries because squirrels CAN PICK IT UP! We have seen this, it made us laugh, like being a bit too indulgent with an amusing but naughty child! It can be very stimulating for the whole family, pitting your wits against such a wily adversary!

Put them in pots and hang them, let them grow down over the pot, now need for straw and nothing will get at them to eat them

Yes but I have a lovely new strawberry bed of about 20 plants gathered together from the runners that had spread around the garden. Two lovely neat rows.
Baskets and pots need watering all the time when it's hot don't they? I'm far too lazy busy for that. Besides, some extremely foolhardy birds have built their nest in the coil of my hosereel so that's out of action for a while.
Bloody wildlife honestly, you make your garden all organic and creature-friendly and how do they repay you....?

Put some straw down on the ground around them, the slugs can't get over it (worked here). We also made a mobile of old CD's, this scares the birds away as they end up with the sun shining in their faces.